Growth, Grit, and Gratitude at AWS: a Parent’s Perspective
11:30 AM - January 13, 2022
The sun with loving light makes bright for me each day,
the soul with spirit power gives strength unto my limbs.
In sunlight shining clear I revere, Oh Creator,
the strength of humankind, which thou has planted in my soul,
that I, with all my might, may love to work and learn.
From thee stream light and strength to thee rise love and thanks.
- Rudolf Steiner
When I used to think about growth, it brought to mind the outward physical appearance of those living things in nature - the vegetable garden, my favorite flowers, and neighborhood trees. Once I became a parent, I fixated on my child’s growth. Was she meeting the necessary physical and developmental milestones? Where did her length and weight place her on the growth curve? It wasn't until I set foot in Aurora Waldorf School for our first Parent/Toddler class that my narrowly focused mind opened to a whole new perspective on what it can mean to grow as a child, parent, family, and community. In a warm classroom setting designed with simple, natural materials and nurturing routines, I learned how imperative the first seven years are in a child's physical, emotional and educational development. I started creating our own daily, weekly and seasonal rhythms at home that inspired a new calm and greater connection to our inner and outer worlds.
While Waldorf education has its deepest roots in educating the whole child, it has persisted all of these years with the understanding that a supportive family environment and educated community network are the important branches necessary for continued personal growth. AWS supports and encourages not just the individual growth of its students but also their families in their parenting journey through open, active communication and correspondence by way of Waldorf-inspired articles, workshops, community meetings, seasonal festivals, and comprehensive academic assessments by a team of invested faculty across the subjects. We are now in our 7th year of growing with the AWS community, and I see my child and myself with new eyes. Growth like learning doesn't end with meeting a certain benchmark like the end of a school day or graduation. It extends on and on throughout all seasons of life and is best enjoyed, surrounded by the simple joys of the natural world and a supportive community.
Grit - courage or resolve; strength of character. By that definition, Aurora Waldorf School has demonstrated grit since its inception 30 years ago. It takes an intense level of commitment to provide an education dedicated to each student's academic, physical and emotional needs. From the very beginning, AWS faculty and staff have embodied the idea that no challenges cannot be overcome with creative ingenuity. Modern-day challenges to in-person learning have served to highlight the dedication and grit of faculty and staff who grew in ways they never expected to deliver their traditional education of fine and practical arts when their students needed to learn from home. The AWS community came together to create a comprehensive logistical plan to return to successful in-person learning in the Fall of 2020. Funds were donated to build a new outdoor learning structure. Classrooms, lesson plans, and learning blocks were mindfully redesigned to create the necessary physical and mental space to process all that was changing in the world while remaining connected to what was important about Waldorf education. The creative flexibility of the Waldorf curriculum has always allowed for the pivoting of a school day at each teacher's discretion based on the individual and collective needs of their class. It takes strength of character to continue on the path that one knows has our children's best developmental intentions in mind.
Aurora Waldorf School provides so many meaningful moments and opportunities for gratitude and reflection throughout a school day and year. From the first moment a teacher greets their students, they take the time to connect with and see each child for who they are in that moment. Morning circle is another opportunity for each class to come together as a group, recite a verse like the one shared above, and personally connect with how they feel about where they stand. Throughout the school year, a greater sense of community is strung together through meaningful adult workshops like Awakening Connections and Eurythmy exercises, where we can learn more about each other and ourselves. Seasonal festivals allow us to embody those virtuous qualities, such as the courage of Saint Michael, the compassion of Saint Martin, and the encouragement to shine our light in the darkness of winter during the Spiral of Light. The slow, conscious pace of an AWS education reminds us of how a joyful and significant life has little to do with being busy. We are reminded of how, by slowing down and using all of our senses to appreciate the quiet, simple moments, we are continually reawakened to how grateful we feel to be exactly where we are.
Amy Deneka is parent to a current AWS student. She has a B.S. in Marketing and English from Syracuse University, M.S. in Student Affairs Administration from Canisius College and is currently a volunteer on the AWS Marketing Committee.
Aurora Waldorf School
